Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Oscar thumped the side of the carriage and glared at the groom blocking the door. “It’s taking too long. What could be keeping them?”

The groom sat up suddenly, alert once more. Oscar cursed his lack of foresight. If he’d stayed quiet, he might have been able to get past him and away before he could be stopped.

The groom waved the pistol in his direction. “Now, your lordship. Don’t be taking that tone with me. I got orders, you see, and one does not cross the duke’s man unless one wants to seek employment with the fishes.”

Oscar scowled at the weak, cautious man. If he did not hold a pistol, now aimed exactly at Oscar’s chest, Oscar would have been out of this carriage ten minutes ago and inside the building to find Agatha. However, he couldn’t do anything to help if he sustained another injury. His hand ached enough as it was.

He still hoped to convince Redding’s lackey to be reasonable and let him have his way. But the man appeared utterly opposed to crossing the duke’s man. They’d spoken at length since the duke’s departure, and he’d not conceded one point in Oscar’s favor. Damn foolish loyalty.

Oscar slumped in his seat, imagining the retribution he would bring against the duke’s man should they not return with Agatha within the next five minutes. He pulled out his pocket watch to mark the time. A little before three. Three o’clock seemed a goodly time of day to shoot someone.

As he tucked his watch away again, a carriage passed the end of their lane.

Oscar sat forward as the gleaming Town carriage pulled up before the bawdy house steps. A single lady stepped from it. An elegant lady he recognized only too well.

Yet he had trouble believing his eyes. “Lady Prewitt?”

She swept up the staircase and disappeared inside without a glance left or right. What the devil was she doing visiting a brothel in this, or any, part of Town?

“You know her?”

“The sister of the woman I was tricked into betrothing myself to.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Lord and Lady Prewitt have an acquaintance with Mrs. Leyton. I don’t like this.”

Redding could be right. He’d brought this situation upon Agatha.

At the time, he’d dismissed the Leyton woman but now? Now, it seemed he should have paid more attention to why they knew each other.

The groom whistled. “Now that changes matters somewhat.” He held out the weapon to Oscar. “You’d better go, milord.”

“Why agree now?”

The groom jumped out. “That one isn’t right in the head. I mean, who would be, when her husband’s shagging her baby sister right under her nose? Disturbs the mind more than a bit. Even turns my stomach—and I seen a lot, working for the duke.”

“I knew something was going on between that pair,” Oscar growled. All of his suspicions had been vindicated. Prewitt, huh. That explained his possessive presence around Penelope and his reluctance that they be alone.

Prewitt could have Penelope, but he’d go retrieve Agatha now.

The groom held open the door. “Don’t kill ’er. It’s harder to hush up that kind of thing in London than in the country. Too many witnesses to pay off in Town.”

Oscar hurried for the bawdy house door, pistol tucked beneath his coat. The two footmen allowed him to pass without question. To them, he must have seemed like an eager gentleman come for a fuck and little else. He hoped everyone else he passed assumed the same.

He slowed his steps once he entered the house. He’d never come here before and had no idea of the layout. Could he ask the butler to direct him to the newest acquisition? Probably not a wise question to ask immediately, given that he wasn’t a returning customer. But the butler was nowhere in sight to direct him. The foyer was empty.

He eased forward until he heard voices.

“Lady Prewitt, what an unexpected pleasure to see you,” the Duke of Staines purred.

Oscar glanced around the corner just as his uncle tugged Agatha behind his back. The duke’s man was on the ground at the base of the stairs, hand raised to his head in obvious pain. When Redding removed it, the bright stain of blood coated his fingers and the side of his face.

Oscar’s pulse hammered; his breath grew labored.

He checked on Agatha again. So far she appeared unharmed, but Lady Prewitt’s wildly swinging pistol arm gave him pause. It reminded him too much of his previous encounter with a deranged man at Lord Daventry’s estate. He drew back, breath catching in his chest. This was his nightmare come back to life. Only now Agatha was in the middle of it, and he had to save her.

Redding groaned, and when Oscar checked again, he had dragged himself to a seated position. Redding met Oscar’s gaze across the room, but made no other gesture to show he’d recognized him. Was he dazed?

“Are you all right, Redding?”

Redding groaned again. “Yes, Your Grace. It’s just a scratch. Always happens around you. I should be getting used to it by now.”

“You’re slowing up there, old fellow. By the way, there’s still a pistol aimed at me. This is no time to be getting comfortable on the floor. Really, Red, I hardly ever do anything to deserve such an indignity.”

Redding set his hand to the floor and started to rise. “Don’t call me Red. ”

Lady Prewitt hissed, “It’s aimed at her , if you would just get out of the way. I’ve got nothing against you.”

Oscar risked another peek—and his world slowed. While he’d been regaining his senses, Redding and the duke had repositioned themselves. He now had a clear shot at Lady Prewitt.

He just needed the wits to pull the trigger and fire upon another human being again.

Oscar flexed his hand around the pistol and drew in a deep breath, hoping the duke could talk his way out of this.

“At my little Agatha? Dear lady, what has she done to deserve such hostility?” The duke’s soothing tones had little effect on the woman.

Lady Prewitt drew herself up tall, her grip on the pistol firming. “She’s after my husband. I won’t share any more of him!”

“Lord Prewitt?” The duke glanced at Agatha.

Agatha shook her head violently. “No. No, of course I don’t want him.”

Lady Prewitt sneered. “That’s what she said, too. Now see what goes on. They think I don’t know, but I’ve got eyes everywhere. I know where they creep to in the dead of night. It stops with her!”

It stops now. Oscar took aim.

Redding slowly shuffled back to lean against the wall, putting himself farther out of danger. “If that were true, then we might all be afraid. As it is, you’ll not pull that trigger.”

Lady Prewitt looked Redding up and down. “And why is that?”

The duke pushed Agatha two steps farther back. “Because, my dear, you’ve lost.”

Oscar pulled the trigger.

A puff of smoke wafted before him as Lady Prewitt collapsed to the ground, pistol spinning far from her reach. She held her bleeding arm against her chest as she screamed in pain at the wound he’d inflicted.

Oscar swayed. The pistol fell from his fingers with a loud clatter.

Agatha ran to him and jumped into his arms. “I knew you could save us. I knew you would.”

She kissed him and hugged him and told him many flattering things that were profoundly good for his ego. He hugged her against his chest and collapsed against the wall for support.

What if he couldn’t have pulled the trigger?

That didn’t bear thinking about. He set his hands around Agatha’s face and kissed her full on the mouth.

“Redding? We need to get this pair married today, don’t you think?” The duke approached, supporting his footman as they crossed the room. He leaned his servant against the wall beside Oscar and inspected the cut on his head. “Red, there’s a fair bit of blood leaking from your head. What do I do about it?”

Redding brushed his hands aside. “It’ll stop directly. Don’t fuss. Mr. Branxton will be waiting impatiently to perform the marriage ceremonies. I’ll deal with my wound later.”

The duke looked set to argue until Redding pointed at the woman crying on the floor. “Also have to deliver Lady Prewitt to her husband with an explanation. You should enjoy that, don’t you think?”

“Immensely and yes there’s no need to alert anyone about this situation.” The duke grinned. “Are you all right, Oscar?”

Oscar squeezed Agatha tightly. “I am now, Your Grace. I’ll bring Lady Prewitt to the carriage. Agatha, go along with His Grace. I’ll join you in a moment.”

Agatha shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll help too. I’d like to try to convince her she’s wrong about me while I have the chance.”

Together, they got Lady Prewitt’s wound bandaged enough to slow the flow of blood, and supported her between them as they followed the duke and Redding, listening to their banter once more.

“Rather forward thinking of me wouldn’t you say, Red, to arrange that vicar fellow?”

Redding clutched his head. “Don’t know if I’d go that far, but if you insist.”

The duke slung his arm around his footman’s back to support him for the short walk. “Oh, I do, I do indeed.”

Redding faced the duke. “Carrington should be saying those words. You cannot do everything for him. ”

Staines chuckled. “Carrington I trust to comply with my wishes, but I do long to hear my brother say them. But let’s dispose of Lady Prewitt first, and then we shall have a nice private wedding to enjoy.”

The grooms on the carriage sprang into action at the sight of their battered party. Redding was helped into the carriage muttering “of course, Your Grace” to another of Staines’ self-serving pronouncements. Did he never stop talking?

Lady Prewitt said nothing at all as she was helped inside, too.

Agatha tugged on Oscar’s sleeve and drew him a little away from the carriage. “Which duke is that?”

“The Duke of Staines.” Oscar set his hands over hers and squeezed. “My uncle, in truth.”

She frowned. “But you never told me you were related to a duke before. I thought you wouldn’t keep secrets from me.”

“This one is a new secret. I had planned to tell you after we were wed, in case you had second thoughts about marrying into such a scandalous family.”

Agatha clutched at his lapels. “Exactly how are you related to the Duke of Staines? I don’t remember reading anything of that in the peerage.”

Oscar cupped his hand around her face and lifted her lips to his. “And you never will.”

He quickly kissed her.

Agatha scowled. “So you are not Lord Carrington’s son? Not Lord Carrington at all?”

“Oh, I am still legally Lord Carrington, but my father was, in fact, another man.” He could see the question in her eyes. “Would you believe the very proper Mr. Lynton Manning is my real father? I tell you now, even I could not at first.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, indeed. Lynton also loves my mother quite madly. The duke has only just learned of my parentage, and is adamant they be married with haste.”

All of a sudden, Agatha laughed. “Oh, dear. We really are quite tame, are we not, in comparison, Oscar?”

“Tame for now. But I have such great plans for tonight.” He set his lips to Agatha’s, longing for the moment when they could be alone again .

A throat cleared behind them and they turned. The duke had stuck his head out the carriage door. “Children. Let’s get you married first and then you can resume your private assignation. There’s always a welcome for new family. Don’t hesitate to get her with child when it’s convenient. But Redding and Lady Prewitt are drenching my carriage in blood. Can we please move along?”

Oscar escorted Agatha to the carriage and squeezed in beside her. “So you like children, Your Grace?”

“Oh, yes. Manning delivered me seven just yesterday. He says he’s going to raise the children from the orphanage as his own.” The duke laughed suddenly. “One hopes he tells your mother about it after the wedding, or I fear she’ll faint with shock.”

A tear fell down Agatha’s cheek. “He’s taking all of them? Why?”

“The orphanage closed, my dear, and, given the scandal you two stirred up, Lynton had to talk fast to secure their care.” The duke took up her hand and rubbed soothingly. “But not all will live with him. Seven is too grand a family for a man of his age with a new wife. I thought perhaps you would consent to raise little Betty, Mabel, and Kitty. The little scamps pleaded to see you before they were removed to my estate, and then the others joined in and created such a tearful uproar I had to cover my ears until they stopped. I am currently overrun with little ones.”

Agatha turned to Oscar, a plea in her eyes. He nodded. “Those three, or all, if you have no objection, Your Grace. I’ll speak to my father about it.”

Agatha hugged Oscar then turned her tearful gaze on the duke. “Thank you, Your Grace. Your charity toward the orphans proves the nasty rumors about you are false and completely untrue.”

Redding lifted his head from the squabs. “Don’t count on it. He’s hardly a stranger to scandal. It runs in the family.”

While the duke and Redding resumed their squabbling, Oscar pulled Agatha hard against him. “I could have lost you today.”

She smiled softly and set her fingers over his lips when he would have continued to voice his fears. “No chance of that. I know everything about you, Oscar. Like cupid’s arrow, your aim is true.”

Agatha kissed him, and although the duke cleared his throat, Redding coughed, and Lady Prewitt sat mute across the carriage, they did not stop kissing until they had to. Exactly long enough to say “I do”.